Delilah's voice filled his dreams like they always did whilst he was unconscious; just like when that voice had been his only companion in the weeks he spent in the darkness of the coma, simon had dreams of her every night since he had left her standing at the alter of the village church.

The former stable boy could only guess that his subconscious hadn't yet grown accustomed to the idea that he was no longer unable to wake up.
"Tell me again about this princess of yours." The woman in the sea green dress asked. She was not angry with him as she asked this, like she had the right to be, or devastated, as he had last left her. Instead she lay beside him in a state of content, looking as carefree and unbothered as she usually did, as if the whole fiasco in the church had never even happened.

"Adalaide?" He smiled.
"Well, she's quite beautiful, as you'd expect of a princess." He started, picturing her inside his mind.
"But not just on the outside, it's the inside as well. She's gentle and kind, and she's got this otherworldly kind of innocence that's just breathtaking."
"Oh really?" Asks the woman beside him, beautiful emerald eyes staring at him with curious question, no pain, jealousy, or even hurt in them as she pried, only genuine curiosity, making his breath still for a moment in his lungs.
"Though her naivety can get her into trouble sometimes."
He laughed after clearing his throat.
"Before we started courting, but many years after I had already lost my head for her, she became betrothed to this pretty boy prince."
He shook his head.
"Anyway the guy... this Prince turned out to be quite the villian; lies, treason, attempted murder. It's a long list." Delilah laughed as so casually explained such a dark matter.
"It's pretty funny to laugh at now..." Simon chuckled, but before he could say anything else, Delilah faded from his vision.

He awoke from the dream, and found himself instead of upon Delilah's warm quilted bed, he lay in his sleeping bundle on the hard frozen ground. Gone was the heat of the roaring fireplace, instead he received an icy blast of wind. Simon did his best to simply ignore it. What he could not ignore though, was the harsh memory of the last time he had seen Delilah.

"I've got to go, I've got to find her!"
He had cried, turning from the father and walking toward the door.
His head filled with no other thought.
"You can't go back there!"
She cried out before beginning to chase after him.
"It could be just a rumor, we have been mistaken before."
She said finally catching up to him as he stepped outside, grabbing at his arm.
"I can't take that chance!"
He exclaimed.
"If there's even a sliver of hope, a chance that she's alive... I've got to take it Delilah. I've got to go back now. You've got to understand... I, I, I love her!" He stuttered before continuing.
"I would do ANYTHING for her."
He turned back to face her as the last string of words finished leaving his mouth. Shock, betrayal and pain could read accross her face, cutting into him like a knife, and causing him instant regret.
"Delilah, I'm sorry I didn't mean..."
But before he could finish she cut him off.
"Oh no, I.... I understand perfectly."
She held up a hand to silence him, her lips pressing into a thin, bitter line.
But in a moment, the bitterness faded, and like the earthly angel that she was, Delilah's voice filled once again with concern.
"I understand." She repeated, this time softer, her tense posture relaxing.

"I am so sorry. This isn't fair to you."
Was all he could muster.
"I, I have to help her..."
"Say no more. Let us not drag this out any longer than we have too."
She reached into the satchel around her waist and pulled out a jingling leather purse. Without saying a word, she grabbed Simon's hand and placed the small leather bag into his hands.

"What's this?"
He questioned staring at it.
"It's the money I made from the mill." She replied. Simon raised his hand in protest and was about to refuse when she said
"Just take it ok, you need it."
"But what about you?!? It's your money?!" He protested but she simply shook her head.

"Don't argue please, just take it. In your condition you won't make the trip on foot. It will kill you. You need a horse. I'd give you Pompeii but now... He's all I've got left."
Her green eyes flashed with pain.

"But..." He started.
"I said not to argue!" She grabbed my hands and pressed them both around the satchel.
"Now go."
She ordered, clearly masking a great deal of emotion.

Unable to stop himself, Simon pulled her into a tender embrace, which she resisted at first, but soon quickly melted into.
"Goodbye Delilah."
He said, regrettably pulling away despite his body's every argument otherwise.
Then she smiled at him and straightened out the collar on his jacket.
"Go rescue your princess." She smirked, standing up on the tips of her toes and kissing him chastly on the forehead.
"Goodbye Sir Simon."

Walking away from her had been one of the most difficult things he had ever done, but he felt as if he had no other choice. He had painstakingly snuck his way back into Aelford, and was now making the rest of the journey on foot, having the horse he had bought with her money to a barbarian guard at the border.

A bribe indeed, but one that was well worth it, plus despite being the stable master, ironically Simon had never been truly comfortable on the back of a horse. Something had always felt off about it, and he felt strongly that you can't trust a horse like you can a donkey, for no equine has ever been half as smart as his Chester.

Simon's thoughts drifted to his beloved donkey as he packed up his gear. He missed him terribly. That animal was one of his dearest and closest friends, and he could only pray it was alright. He thought back to when he had told Delilah of this deep bond he shared with his donkey, and how she didn't laugh like anyone back at the palace, nor did she give him any odd looks like Adelaide had when she had first met the pair of them. Simon did his best to push away her vision from his mind.
Caught between regret and duty, his heart ached, drowning in visions of sea green eyes and callused hands.

Once packed, he buried his small fire in a blanket of snow. When he had first arrived, Simon had been smart enough to take into account that he couldn't cross through the city, as it was overtaken with the enemy horde.
The roads were drenched in them. But luckily throughout his past life as s simple peasant, Simon had taken many a back road, and knew his way around the kingdom almost as well as any guide, and though he had never been to the castle up north, as it was closed long before he was old enough to go riding alone, but he knew of a couple paths that led in what he hopefully assumed was the right direction.

He had been trudging through the forest on foot, keeping out of sight of the many MANY enemy patrols.
The sun is just beginning to set in the sky when through the whiteness of the forest, he thought he heard a familiar low pitched grunt.
No it couldn't be... It's just my mind playing tricks on me.
He thought.
But then out of the tree line a familiar animal came charging into me, knocking him to the ground.
"Oh Chester, it really is you!"
Simon cried, overjoyed.
"I missed you so much buddy!"
He continued to exclaim, hugging his thick neck as the animal balked and brayed with glee, burrowing his furry face into the chest of his master.
After a brief but happy moment of reunion, Simon climbed on to the bare back of his beast.
Trusting the animals to know where to go with no means of control, Simon galloped through the forest at full speed, slowing only when they reached a giant stone wall.
"Who goes there?!?"
A deep voice shouted down from the gate tower.
Simon looked up to see a set of Southern Isle guards aiming crossbows directly at him.
What on earth are they doing here?
He thought.
"Wait wait wait..."
An Aelford guard calls out.
"That's Sir Simon the Horse Lord! Let him in!"
The giant gates are opened and he urged the donkey inside to find the remaining guard and the villagers staring at him with awe.
Simon dismounted and a young officer saluted him.
"Sir Simon." He says respectively
"I thought you were dead sir? I saw you fall from the mountain myself?!?"
"Nearly deaf sergeant, nearly."
He answered.
"Why is the Isle guard here?"
"The King of The Lornaldi Isles was the only one to respond to our messengers, and send troops." The young solider answers, still standing at attention.

"Where's Princess Adelaide? I need to see her immediately!" Simon ordered. "You mean the Queen sir?"
"Yes... Queen Adelaide." He sigh sadly, remembering suddenly that Xander was now dead.
The soldier eyes downcast.
"She's missing."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S MISSING?!?" The horse lord shouted in outrage.

The young soldier flinches.
"She's been taken captive, by the Barbarians."
"What?!? When?!? How?!?"
Simon shouts once more.
"Young Anderson..." The uniformed man calls into the group of villagers who had gathered at the commotion.
A young boy sheepishly steps forward. "Explain what you say to Sir Simon."

"Well Sir..."
The skinny young youth gulps, as if he were in trouble.
"I was asleep in my usual spot by the barn, when a commotion from that beast's-"
He points to Chester.
"-stall woke me up. This creature had broken out of his pen and Her Majesty was running after him. I helped the Prince from the Isles to saddle his steed, and he rode off to look for her."
The boy explained, refusing to meet the eyes of Simon.
"After a few minutes I grew worried. I ran after him. I arrived just in time to see her Majesty and Prince Iolas both surrounded by Vikings. They were taken captive...."

Simon stood there, Stunned into silence by what he had just heard.
His poor, sweet girl had been captured by these monster's.
Another treacherous thought hit him.
"Wait..." He clutched his balled up fists to his side in rage.
"Did you say Prince Iolas?!?"

_____________________

A/N: Hope you enjoyed.
New Arch Frenemies chapter will be up today as well folks, stay tuned. :)
-QueenOfGeeks